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S. VLESSING.

DRIER FOR VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAN. a, 19m.

1 320,721 Patented Nov. 4, 1919;,

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SALOMON VLESsIN a S. VLESSING.

DRIER FOR VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8.1918.

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DRIER FOR VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s. 1918.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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ITE .STTES FATE FFIQE,

SALOMON VLESSING, 0F LEEUWABDEN, 'NETI-IERLANDS.

DRIER FOR VEGETABLES.

Application filed March 8, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SALOMON VLEssING,

manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of the The invention relates todriers for vegetables and the like and consists in certain improvementsthereof. In an apparatus of the kind there are drying chambers, in whichare placed in several horizontal rows above each other, a plurality ofdrying screens. These screens are all pivotally mounted on parallelspindles. The vegetables are placed on the screens, and are dried by acurrent of heated air, which is introduced at the bottom of theapparatus. The vegetables, which are first heated and bleached, areplaced on the upper row of screens; the drying process being continued,the vegetables are brought to a lower row, where they are subjected todrier air, which is less moisture-laden than the air at the top-row. Theturning of the screens, in order to bring the vegetables to the next rowbelow, as well as the turning back of the screens in their normalposition is performed for all screens of the same horizontal rowsimultaneously, as these are coupled by a suitable mechanism, whicheffects about a quarter of a turn of the screens.

The driers, as generally used at present, have flat screens, each ofwhich can be turned about an axle, mounted in the center of the screen.This arrangement results however in the difiiculty, that by turn ing thescreens of one row, the vegetables, when falling down upon the next rowbelow, are not sufficiently spread, and on ac count of their wetcondition, form a coherent mass. According to the small surface, whichthe vegetables offer the air, the drying process is very slow. In orderto avoid this disadvantage, valves are provided in the side walls of thedrying chambers, for the purpose of giving access from outside to theseparate horizontal rows of screens. The vegetables after being broughtto a lower'row of screens, are equally spread over the whole surface ofthe layer by a suitable instrument, which is brought inside bySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Serial No. 221,301.

opening the corresponding valve in the side wall. It is obvious, thatthis manipulation not only results in a great loss of heat or hot gases,but it'also requires workmen, who at all times must be available forthis purpose.

The present invention avoids these incommodities, and :at the same timehas the advantage of shortening the drying process. For this purpose thescreens of all, or of several of the horizontal rows are formed by twoplanes in about perpendicular position to each other, their section-linelying in the same line with the spindle, around which the screens areturned. The turning of these cross-screens always is efiected in thesame direction and for one quarter of a turn. On each layer ofcross-screens.

that the drying process, on each layer is more intensive, for thereason, that after the screens have been turned about a right angle, thevegetables are again subjected on the same screen, to the drying actionof the air. The current of heated air however, comes in contact withanother surface of the vegetables, these being turned upside down.Consequently, the drying action on each layer of screens being moreintensive, it will be sufficient to arrange less layers of screens thanare used in the existing driers, thus making it possible to build thenew apparatus lower. The fact, that less layers of screens will besufficient for an elfective drying action, results in another advantageviz., that the drying gases in their path through the apparatus, findless resistance, thus allowing to decrease the pressure at which theyare introduced at the bottom of the drier.

According to the invention, the cross screens can only be turned in onedirection, and this direction is for each following layer opposite tothat of the preceding one.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure 1 is a section through a double drying chamber to which theinvention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the drier shown in .Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the mechanism for obtaininguni-directional movement of the screen shafts.

The double drying chamber, as shown in the drawings, consistssubstantially in a frame 1, forming a case, the walls of which arecovered with heat-insulating materlal X. The upper part of this frameforms a closed spa'ce,in which are arranged the drying-screens Q'and 6,reaching over the whole with the drying chamber. The lower part opensinto funnel-shaped tanks 3, each of which is closed at the bottom by avalve 1. In these tanks the dried vegetables are gathered, anddischarged into suitable cases or barrels, which are placed under theopening of the valve 1.

111 the driers, as illustrated in the'drawing, the screens are arrangedin five horizontal layers above each other, each layer having eightscreens placed side by side, which screens are all pivotally mounted onthe parallel axles 5. The uppermost and the lowest layers have flatscreens 2, while in the illustrated case, all intermediate rows areformed by cross-screens 6, of the abovementioned shape. Thetransverse-section through these screens has the form of a cross. Theposition of the two upper rows in relation with each other can be suchthat the vertical part of the cross-screens serves as stoppingarrangement for the flat screens of the top-row when these are broughtinto vertical position. By striking the flat screen against thecross-screen below, the vegetables lying on the fiat screen, are shakenthus preventing sticking to the screen. All the screens of the samelayer are suitably coupled, thus enabling the workman to turn them allat the same time by operating one handle or crank 9.

The bottom of the drying chamber is connected through opening W and pipeZ to a blower Y through which heated air is brought to the drier,passing successively through the different layers of drying screens, andleaving the drier at the top through a perforated plate 7.

By turning one of the cranks 9, the shafts 15 are driven by means of thebevel-gearwheels 18 and 1 1, this motion being transmitted to thespindle 5 of the screens by means of the worms 16 and the wormwheels 17The direction in which the cranks 9 can be turned is opposite for eachsuccessive layer. This may be obtained by means of a pawl and a ratchetwheel which permit the crank to turn in one direction only, see A, A andB, B of Fig. 8.

The top-row is turned by means of the .wheel 10, which is moved by achain or a rope l1, and the rod 18, which is connected to the spindles 5by the levers 19.- The length of the stroke, when turnin the fiatscreens of this layer, is limited y a slot to the next layer.

20 of the wheel 10, this slot cooperating with a pin 21, fastened to therod 18. The fiat screens at the bottom of the drier are in the same wayoperated by means of a lever 22 and the slot 23.

When the drier is in action, the vegetables are first placed on thescreens 2 of the top-layer 0L, and exposed to the drying action of theheated air, and afterward brought successively to the layers 6, 0, d andc. This is effected by turning the screens 2 of the layer a, when thewheel 10 has made about a quarter of a turn.

In the drier, shown in Fig. 1, the fiat screens of the layer a areturned in a direction opposite to that of the hands of a clock, when thevegetables are transmitted The vegetables then fall on the left side ofthe horizontal part of the cross-screen of the second layer,'where theyare again subjected to the action'of the drying gases. Meantime thescreens of the top-layer are returned into their horizontal position,and filled with fresh vegetables.

When the vegetables are dried during a certain time on the layer 6, thecrossscreens of this row are turned in the direc tion of the hands of aclock, making about a quarter of a turn. The vegetables are turnedupside down and at the same time are placed on the other side of thescreen, to the right of the spindle,'around which the screen is turned.Here again, the vegetables are dried, and other parts of the vegetableslying at the surface are subjected to the drying action of the heatedair. Then the layer 6 again is turned, the vegetables fall upon theright side of the screens of the layer 0, which every time make aquarter of a turn in the direction, opposite to that of the hands of theclock. Conse quently, on this layer the same operation takes place as onthe layer 6, with the only difference that the vegetablesare firstplaced on the right hand side and afterward on the left hand side of thescreen. It is obvious that both sides of the cross-screens, the left aswell as the right are simultaneously active; after the screen has beenturned for a quarter of a turn the empty side gets its material from thelayer above. The flat screens 2 of the bottom-layer can only make aquarter of a turn, like the screens of the top layer, and are thenreturned into their'original position.

What I claim is:

1. Improvements in driers for vegetables, with chambers, in whichhorizontal rows or layers of drying screens, pivotally mounted onparallel spindles, are placed above each other and of which the screensof the same layer are suitably coupled to be turned together, thescreens of several of the horizontal rows being formed by twointersecting planes substantially perpendicular to each other, theirintersection lying in the same line with the spindle, around which thescreens are turned.

2. A drier according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-screensof each row only can be turned in one direction, and that this directionfor each following layer is opposite to that of the preceding one.

3. Improvements in driers for vegetables, with chambers, in which anumber of hori zontal rows or layers of drying screens, pivotallymounted on parallel spindles, are

placed above each other, and of which the screens of the same layer aresuitably coupled to be turned together, the screens of all of thehorizontal rows being formed by two intersecting planes substantiallyperpendicular to each other, their point of intersection being in linewith the axis of the spindle around which the screens are turned.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SALOMON VLESSING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

